Thursday, November 29, 2007

The best gift of all - T I M E

View from our bedroom window after the makeover



My parents asked me what I wanted for my birthday this year, it was in June. All I wanted was the backyard to be sorted. I had been looking at a dirt mountain where I wanted to put a lovely bench I already had. I had watched this dirt mountain grow with weeds and become a bit of a child danger mountain, spiders, gravel, gum tree branches all the fun things kids are attracted to.

Out of the blue last week mum and dad came over and tidied up the front and back gardens. We had so much fun all working together. Mum rang me and said they would be back this week to sort out my mountain, it is very close to being finished just need some turf and then to work out retaining walls etc... but I love it already, I can sit in the cool of the trees in summer and enjoy the warmth of the winter sun.

Parents retreat seat!



Today my sister, brother-in-law and my dad came over and helped. So special these kinds of memories. My sister has been off work for a year, she has not been well and returns to work on Monday so for her to give up her special last days of freedom are even nicer. I loved the adult company. H still working 7 days and not coming home till late sad for me and sad for him, but moments like this really make my heart sing and hopefully his will soon start to sing a heartfelt tune too.

View from the parents retreat seat!



E working on the cubby house making it into TinselTown

Tuesday, November 27, 2007

So close to being finished probably tonight

My bag which I started a few weeks ago is so close to being finished just completing internal sewing of seams that I thought I could get away with posting it as a finished item!



On the advice of Rose Red I lined it with purple felt. Now it is really a substantial bag and nice to touch. I am thinking of adding a little felt pocket inside for putting those must find quickly items like keys and hankies, not sure if it will stretch to much for that? Any advice most welcome.



Wool used and felt all purchased secondhand from the Red Cross Shop and a Garage Sale and Bamboo handles courtesy of my late Grandma. Hopefully she is happy with what I have made with them and is smiling down on me.

Wednesday, November 21, 2007

Lets pretend...its my birthday!


Don't you wish that every day was your birthday? Imagine how old you would be by now, to hard to workout. Daughter aged 3 seems to have been waiting an eternity to have her next birthday, happens early January. So every couple of months we play pretend birthdays. Young E finds goodies from her bedroom we wrap them up put them in a birthday bag, this time we also had balloons, that never get completely blown up, poor Opa has the task of blowing them up so the girls can let them fly through the air. I added a couple of stickers, some bubble stuff and party hats. E and I made jelly "cakes" earlier in the day.

Why was she so interested in parties, well mummy was working on cards for 2 special friends:

Miss F and



RoseRed and not her



then there was cousin Robbies...



what about me I hear her asking.



It took me a while to get my wrapping looking just right for each individual. Only have another 5 handmade cards to make prior to Christmas as well as the family Christmas greeting... way to scary so little time so much to do.

H is worried I am making her eccentric by allowing these pretend birthdays. I think it is good no cost apart from the jelly-mix fun. Life can be way to serious and we need to really let our imaginations soar some days.

Tuesday, November 13, 2007

ShoesDay Spring has sprung

Time thought about buying these shoes approx 5 months. Time taken to buy them today 5 mins, amount of sweat lost while doing so, loads had both girls with me and the eldest wanted to touch everything including the large mirror leaning against the wall.





Anyhow hopefully they will add a spring to my weary steps at present.

Youngest daughter has already tested them out, had a tantrum when I placed them out of her 'dress-up' reach.

Great wide front for my feet love love comfort shoes, also have a tiny wee heel, not sure if you would classify it as a heel, but they make me feel like a grown up in a girly sort of way.

Sunsets and other things that make me smile...

like celebrating birthdays with friends: Happy Birthday Miss F, hope you are having a good day even with that broken ankle!


like our girls playing princess ballerinas so nicely.


like spending time with family. This is one of the views from my sisters house. Notice how used to the view the kids are that they turn their backs on it and favor colouring in. We were lucky enough to see some whales while visiting in the weekend. We were also lucky enough to have a yummy roast lamb, great considering our oven is not working so I miss our weekly roasts.


like watching my immediate family interact, H reading a bedtime story to our little cherubs and laughter and chaos filling the air.

Friday, November 9, 2007

Mrs Sentimental

We have been very very lucky as we celebrate important milestones in our lives to have had the support and love of family and friends.





Our quilt which was purchased from a department store has lost its ability to keep us warm. I had put away our quilt which my Grandma who lives in NZ had made as a wedding present for us, for fear of it being stolen. Silly how your mind works sometimes. We were robbed 7 years ago and they took very sentimental and irreplaceable items. One of my close friends had also been robbed and they placed everything in the middle of her quilt and bundled it up that way. SO I lived in fear of losing this most precious item. I must be healing as today I thought I would put it on the bed doesn't really go with the curtains, but hey may have to do something about that, like get new ones!



Anyhow I thought I would profile my Grandmas quilting ability she constantly amazes me. The cushion is my first and only patchwork project completed in May 1979 when I stayed with her during one holiday I was aged 11. Whenever we visited she always wanted to teach us a new skill and we would come home with a new treasure.



This quilt was made for EE when she was just a wee baby, flannette, could be put in the washing machine and dryer. I used it in her bouncer on the floor, in the pram and in her cot. It always made me smile and you can tell it has been well loved.



This one was made for RR and has Buzzy Bee as a feature on the back, a great NZ kids toy. It brings back oh so many memories and also makes me smile. I love the brightness and boldness of the prints on the back. EE was also given a handmade gift at the same time, this gorgeous NZ Pukekohe made especially to sit on a shelve.

Wednesday, November 7, 2007

Rainbow delight just right for rainy weather



I have started a new crochet project. A bag to hold all the extra kidlike stuff I carry round.

The material I am using is wool I bought at a garage sale recently for $2 and most sentimentally bamboo bag handles that belonged to my late Grandma. I wanted something to lift my spirits when the day just seems a bit too tough. Or just to make me smile when I pickup the bag and think of my Grandma who taught me so much.



The colours of the wool are highly contrasting, so I am making the pattern up, changing the colour when I feel like a change. Not sure if both sides will match, but it doesn't really matter. I am making the pattern up again, Rose Red kindly offered to lend me a pattern but truthfully I can't understand/read patterns so hopefully my bag will turn out even if I am freestyling. Almost finished the front then there is the bottom, sides...sewing it all together, deciding to line it



The bag that I carry my current project in is a bag from Skipping Girl, it inspires me when I look at it and is made from very durable plastic sort of material and is a great size... well that is my opinion.

Must finish eldest daughter Es cardigan as my next project so close, but at the not so interesting finishing stage, so close but yet so uninspired!

Friday, November 2, 2007

A finished project! How exciting for me at least




I have finished my first ever crochetted Tutu. Pattern created by me. Wool second hand from the local charity shops. Ribbon donated by generous sister-in-law. Total cost of wool $5. Time taken from memory about 1 month on and off. Excitement level at finishing HIGH. Daughters excitement level not as high, however she did want to wear it while practising using scissors and gluing. Mothers answer was NO.



I decided to make it a halter neck as it is often hard to tie shoulder straps on little people. Well my little people that is.